For reasons of standardization, the dimensions of the chipcards and the position of the contact areas have been laid down by International Standards (7810, 7816-2). Chipcards according to this standard are referred to as ID1 cards.
However, miniaturized reading/writing devices for chipcards, as are already frequently used in very small mobile radio telephones, require so-called minichip cards, since chipcards in the standard ID1 format are too large for these purposes. This minichip card differs from the chipcard in the ID1 format only by having smaller outer dimensions and a different contour. The already customary form of the minichip card is referred to as the ID000 format and will shortly likewise be defined in an international standard.
However, in the world of chipcards, this minichip card with its different dimensions is not to be regarded as isolated from the standard ID1 card format. There are various reasons for this:
a) The existing production installations and processes are designed for the production of chipcards in the ID1 format. Converting the existing production installations or creating new production installations for the direct production of chipcards in the ID000 format would be very complex and expensive. In addition equipment for the further handling of the chipcards after card production, in so-called card personalization installations, is also designed for the ID1 format. For this and other reasons, minichip cards are produced such that chipcards are initially produced in the ID1 format and the minichip cards are subsequently broken out from the card body. After production the minichip card may be completely broken out, or separated, from the card body in the ID1 format by the card manufacturer, for example by punching. Alternatively the minichip card is only partially punched out from the card body in the ID1 format and the minichip card remaining connected to the card body in the ID1 format by means of connecting lugs and/or notches such that the customer (card owner) can break out (break off, bend off, tear off) the minichip card without further aids. PA1 b) A further reason not to produce minichip cards directly is that afforded by the greater flexibility of this procedure. For example, if a card issuer, the operator of a mobile radio network, requires at short notice more minichip cards than chipcards in the ID1 format than were originally ordered, the card manufacturer can either produce minichip cards or cards with minichip cards which can be broken out from chipcards in the ID1 format without any great effort. PA1 c) Since the minichip card is relatively small and "inconspicuous", there is quite a high risk of it being lost on the way from the card manufacturer via the card issuer and finally to the card owner to be used in a terminal. For this reason alone, a larger card body is appropriate as a carrier for the minichip card, to a certain extent as a handy outer packaging. PA1 d) Advertising and/or information can be readily applied to the large-area carrier card in the ID1 format by means of printing technology, which would not very well be possible on the relatively small surface of the minichip card.